Forgive Me
by OuroborosMoon
Summary: Time was fleeting; she knew that. She only had a little bit of time left, but she couldn't tell him. She was dying, yet her heart still beat strongly for him...
1. I'm Dying

**Hey you guys! I have been gone forever, and I know I have a bunch of stories hanging (I beg your pardon most profoundly) but I'm seriously working on it. I finally have a laptop to vent my frustrations upon, and this little thing came into this jumbled up brain.**

**I actually finished FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood about a month ago, and this idea began to form in my head. I have a lot of it written out already, so I will try to update regularly, which should be about once a week. The chapters will be relatively short, but I expect them to lengthen out as time progresses.**

**The name of this fic is derived from _Forgive Me_ by Evanescence. Feel free to listen :)**

**Without further ado...**

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><p><strong><em>In which Winry discovers the truth.<em>**

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><p><em>Will you forgive me, again?<em>

She clutched her hands tightly to her chest. Her fingers trembled and her skin broke out into a cold sweat. Her mind went blank as she stared over his shoulder, out the window, and towards the bright blue sky. A woman pushed a carriage past the window, cooing to her baby as she went. The butcher stepped out of his store and gingerly held out a cube of meet to a stray dog. A flock of birds took off from a nearby tree and flew into the distance.

Outside, life kept going. Families grew, nature flourished, and the world kept spinning.

However, time in this room had stopped. She was out of time.

Her breath hitched and her eyes blurred, temporarily hiding the world from her sight.

"It... it can't be."

It happened gradually over a course of a few months. Before she knew it, her body had become weaker that it had. She would fall asleep while tinkering with her automail. Carrying her loaded tool box became next to impossible. Two weeks ago, she found herself in the middle of the market, holding a basket of apples, with no memory as to how she obtained them.

When she told her grandmother, she was immediately packed onto a train to see the best doctor in Central.

Now, a week later, she was staring at a man in a white coat, neatfully combed hair, and a somber expression cloaking his face.

She wanted to laugh ridiculously through her tears. She wanted to giggle and ask if he was joking.

But his expression was far from comical, and she was far from laughing.

Granny would fall apart when she found out. Her customers would have to find a new engineer. She wouldn't be able to see little Elysia anymore. Al would be devastated. Ed…

She couldn't tell the two brothers; she wouldn't. They were finally free of the chains that bound them to the horrible military. They were finally free to travel safely away from each other. They were seeing the world.

She couldn't tear that away from them.

Ed…

Honestly, she didn't know how Edward would react. He wouldn't have her to fix his leg anymore, and that was bound to tick him off. He would throw a fit, but he would get over it. He always did.

But still, she didn't think she could tell them. She didn't want them to, once again, feel burdened by another person. It would be better if they found out _after_.

She lowered her hands and looked Dr. Manek in the eye. "Are you sure?"

He sighed and took off his glasses, wiping them idly on his white button up. "Blood tests don't lie, Miss Rockbell."

She nodded stiffly and looked down, watching as tears splashed onto her hand and trickled down her knuckles.

She wasn't supposed to cry. He told her that she could only cry tears of joy. Sad tears were wasted tears.

"Looks like I'll have to break my promise," she whispered, and then stood to shake Dr. Manek's hand.

"Take your medicine," he instructed. "It will make you feel better."

She nodded once more, opting to stay silent for fear of a total meltdown.

She stumbled down the hallway, gaining knowing looks from a few nurses. They had seen this before: the glazed eyes, the pale skin, the shaky hands, and the jerky gait of another soul who had just been read their death sentence.

She tore away from their gazes and ran down the hall. She ran until she found herself tearing open two metal doors and barreling down the abandoned stairs.

Blood drummed in her ears. Her vision spotted.

She was out of time.

She finally allowed herself to wail, slowing down on the stairs. She clutched the handrail for dear life and slid down the metal bars, sobs wracking her entire body.

She cried for her family, her friends, herself, and her short time frame. She cried for all of the times she couldn't: as she stood before her parents caskets, as a suit of armor came barreling through her door clutching a dismembered little boy, and as that same little boy screamed as she attached his automail. She cried for time lost. She cried for time she would never have.

Dr. Manek said she would be lucky to make it to spring.

Her body was filled with poison.

Cancer.

Winry Rockbell was going to die in less than a year.

She was out of time.


	2. An Overheard Conversation

**A little note regarding oncoming chapters:**

**My computer is currently out of commission, so for now I am using my dad's computer to write. Because of this, updates will most likely stick to once, maybe twice a week. I was able to update today because Toy Story is on and my dad loves that movie.**

**Yeah, not weird at all. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong><em>In which Alphonse overhears a conversation...<em>**

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><p><em>I don't know what I said<em>

~~10 months later~~

Alphonse Elric was excited. He hadn't been home in almost two years, and he couldn't keep the smile off his face when the train finally pulled into the dusty city of Rush Valley.

He'd spent his time solely in Xing, taking lessons from Mei in the art of Alkahestry. It was pleasant and comfortable, spending time with the girl he'd confessed himself to less than a year ago.

_If only brother would get it through his head,_ he thought grimly. _Winry won't wait forever._

If only he knew how right he was.

He departed the train with an air to his step, determined to catch a bite to eat before the train headed to Risembool.

He wasn't surprised that the people didn't recognize him. The many times he had been here, he had been bonded to a suit of armor and while the people gawked and praised, he was glad to be rid of it. It was about time he could sleep and eat again.

A tiny bell rang, announcing his arrival into a small deli. Almost everyone had an appendage replaced with automail, and Al couldn't help but think of his brother, still carrying around a prosthetic. He smiled fondly of the memory of his brother walking for the first with his new limbs, wobbling and shaky. Even then, he was determined to get their bodies back.

_Well done, brother._

His order was taken by a short old man with graying hair and a prosthetic finger. His accent was typical of the region, and Al wondered faintly if his own accent had changed after being in a foreign land for so long.

Not likely.

He sat by rather large window, overlooking the bustling train station. The crowd pushed and weaved as one, and it was amusing to see the glints of silver sparkling from the mass.

It was comforting to understand everyone around him. He didn't have to nudge Mei and ask what was being said, and he didn't have to whip out a translation book to catch the point of the conversation. It was nice to listen and understand.

So when he just so happened to hear the conversation behind him, he turned around and gaped. _What did they just say?_

A rather stout older woman was pulling her hair into a tie and speaking to a younger man. "She's out of commission, Bo. She doesn't work with automail anymore."

"But Winry is the only one who knows how to get my knuckle brackets right," the younger man, Bo, countered. "And she's _nice._"

Al intervened at the mention of his friend's name. "Did you say Winry? Do you mean Winry Rockbell?"

The woman turned to him and raised a dark eyebrow. "And just who are you, young man?"

Al blushed at his temporary loss of manners. "I apologize. I'm Al."

Her eyes rounded a bit. "As in Winry's Al?"

He chuckled and nodded. "I guess you could call me that." He sobered as he remembered their earlier topic. "What you said before, about Winry no longer working with automail, what did you mean by that?"

The aging woman lifted her glass from the table and shook it softly, causing the ice to clink against the sides. "She can't do it anymore."

Al tried to remain polite. "Yes ma'am, but _why_?"

She stared him straight in the eye. "If she wanted to tell you, then she would have told you," she snapped.

She was getting older, and she had seen people come and go many times in her life. However, it always struck a rusty cord within her when someone so young was plagued with the disease of death.

She sighed and lowered her grey eyes. "You should probably see her as soon as possible, before it's too late."

Al's eyes shot up. "What do you mean?"

She reached forward then and clutched his hands. "Winry used to talk about you and your brother a lot. Ed, was it? She spoke fondly of you two. I was a customer of hers up until a few months ago, when she quit her apprenticeship and moved back with her grandmother."

She met his eyes once more. "I'll only tell you this. Miss Winry is running out of time. If you want to see her, get on the next train to Risembool as soon as possible."

She released his hands and stood up. "Good luck, Alphonse Elric. Tell Winry that I'll pray for her." She nodded to the young boy and they quietly left the building.

Al was frozen. From the words of the old woman, it sounded like Winry was sick or something. And what was this time business she was going on about? Was Winry moving away from Risembool?

A rock seemed to drop into his stomach. _But what if something was _wrong _with Winry?_

The train sounded its departure and Al quickly darted out of the door.

_If Winry was in trouble, she would have told us,_ he thought._ Or at least brother. She wouldn't keep us out of the dark, right?_

He would find out before the sun went down.


	3. The Telegram

**_In which Edward recieves a telegram..._**

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><p><em>But I didn't mean to hurt you<em>

"Excuse me, Mr. Elric?"

Ed groaned and rolled his head from its place on his arms. His right hand was numb and wet from the drool that had pooled onto his flesh and onto the once clean table.

"Yeah, what is it?" he murmured groggily, wiping away the stray spittle with the sleeve of his shirt.

"You have a telegram." The head librarian handed him a sealed envelope. "By the way, we are closing soon. If you don't mind," she glanced at her ruined table. "Please clean up your mess before you leave."

Edward scowled as she walked away, but obediently wiped the table with a handkerchief. He snatched up the letter and quickly shoved it in his pocket.

_Probably a letter from Al. Haven't heard from him in a while,_ he thought._ Then again, I haven't heard from _anyone_ in a while._

It was… strange, being on his own. Ever since he lost his limbs trying to bring back their deceased mother, Alphonse had always been by his side. His little brother was always his right hand, but ever since their separation, Ed had been feeling listless. He wasn't used to being without his shadow.

He yawned and exited the library, waving lazily to the now scowling head librarian. The sun was setting slowly over the short houses, and Edward stared at the colors in silent thought. He'd been in this city for almost three weeks and still came up empty.

This area was known for flourishing in the art of alchemy, yet there was absolutely nothing he could get his hands on. No one spoke of it, at least not to him. The people of this area claimed they didn't practice alchemy. Either they were lying, or they didn't recognize the practice.

The architecture told a different story. There was an altar in the middle of the town square. It was thick and short, and its stone infrastructure was obviously falling apart. However, it wasn't the stone itself that had caught the young man's eye. In the center of the single column, there were three alchemical circles intertwining amongst one another. When he asked a local about it, she said it was a symbol used for prayer to the unnamed God.

Well, that didn't sound quite right.

Ed snorted. There was something here, and he was going to find it.

At the corner of the cobbled street, Ed turned and entered a small airy inn. One of the worst things about traveling was never knowing where you were going to sleep. Some towns had a small inn, like this one, but some only had empty rooms in the back of a bar. Ed managed, but the inn had been a splendid treat.

He closed the door to his room and tossed his coat on a small table beside his bed. The room was quaint, but lacked warmth. Ed only walked the floors of this area to get sleep, nothing more. Living on his own was terribly boring, but it was a life he had chosen. However, he was quickly beginning to regret it. At first, the life of research and adventure was thrilling. Now, it seemed like a job. As days went by, the search became more forced. Perhaps he was home sick. Or maybe there was a certain girl back home that continuously crept into his head.

He blushed and ran his fingers through his hair. She seemed to call to him in his dreams, her blond hair flailing and her blue eyes taunting him.

The day he left was fresh in his mind, after being replayed over the course of two years. Through trial- and mostly error- he'd proposed. It wasn't elaborate, but it was the best he could possibly do. He liked to think that she accepted, but how was he to know? She had probably moved on anyway.

Yawning, he reached into his pocket and extracted the thin yellow envelope. URGENT flashed at him in bold red letters.

"Probably Mustang," he murmured. "That creep." He tore open the letter rather ungracefully, ripping the front of the envelope in his clumsiness.

The first thing he noticed was Alphonse's hand writing. The second thing was how messy and rushed that handwriting was.

The third was Alphonse's first word. "Edward," it started.

_Al never calls me by full name,_ Ed thought nervously, and then narrowed his eyes on the subject matter.

_Edward, I didn't know. Did you? I'm not exactly sure what to do, and she said not to tell you, but I just _have _to. Brother, please come home as quickly as possible. I'm scared that you won't be able to see her in time. She misses you a lot; I can tell in the way she talks about you. Just please, please come home! Winry is sick- really sick. I know that you are busy, but this is very important. _

That was it. The paper was stiff and as Ed examined it in the light, he could see drops of water- _tears?-_ splattered across the bottom of the page.

He sat back and concentrated. Alphonse had obviously been flustered. He couldn't keep his sentences straight and his structure was redundant. Al knew how to write properly, but this was just… off.

There was also the topic of Winry that was beginning to weigh on his shoulders. If she was sick, then she would get better. But the words, _I'm scared you won't be able to see her in time_, confused him. What exactly had Al meant by that?

Ed smiled and stood up. "I think it's about time to make a house call. It's been a while since I gotten on Winry's nerves."


	4. Return

**_In which Edward returns home..._**

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><p><em>I heard the words come out<em>

Ed stepped off the train with a smile on his face. The station at the edge of Risembool was empty- as usual- except for a shadow that sat on a bench ten feet away.

Edward smirked and walked over to his brother, a greeting on his lips. That greeting died, however, when he took notice of his brother's unusually somber expression.

"Is that how you greet your brother after all this time?" he asked playfully, and nudged Al with a fist.

Al screwed his eyebrows together. "Didn't you get my telegram?"

Ed sighed. "Yeah, Winry's sick. I got it."

"You're not even worried about her?"

Ed walked past his brother and stepped onto the dirt road. "Of course I am. Why do you think I'm here?"

Al smiled faintly and jogged up to his older brother. "I was worried…"

Silence followed them for a few moments. "You were worried about what, Al?" Ed asked softly.

"I was worried you wouldn't make it in time to see her," he whispered.

"You make it sound like she's dying or something," he said in agitation, deaf to Alphonse's quick intake of breath. "As soon as she sees the mess I made of my leg, she'll be up and beating the hell out of me in no time."

Al remained silent.

Pinako greeted them at the door with a nod.

"You look more decrepit than ever," Ed called as they neared the house.

"Good afternoon to you too, Ed," she retorted. "I'll let that one go this time."

_Weird._

However, the more he looked at Granny, the more haggard she looked. Her hair, usually in a tight knot on her head, was loose and stringy. Her wrinkles had deepened into an almost ravine-like state, and her eyes were glassy and hollow.

_What in the _hell _is going on? _Ed thought wildly. _Why is everyone acting so damn weird? Who died?_

"Winry is out back," the old woman stated firmly. She directed Al inside and shut the heavy door behind her.

Ed sighed and set his suitcase beside the stone stairs. Dean trotted out from far right of the house, her leg making heavy indents in the dewy grass.

Ed bent down and scratched her ears.

"What the hell is going on, girl?"

Dean nudged his hands and whined.

Ed chuckled. "Yeah, I don't know either."

He stretched as he stood, relishing in the crisp spring air. It had been far too long since he had felt this air; air that could only be felt in Risembool. It was never too hot, and never too cold. His childhood home was a constant, cool breeze all year long. He missed it.

Ed stepped around the back of Pinako's house and his eyes swept for his blue- eyed mechanic.

He spotted her almost immediately. She was lying beside a tree, well into the shade of the branches. She was breathing steadily and lay limp, detailing signs of sleep. The only thing that separated her from the wet grass was a wool blanket, half of which draped around her legs. A pink sweater was wrapped tight around her shoulders, and her legs were sheathed in dark pants. Another blanket lay folded up beside her.

He shifted on his feet, contemplating whether or not to disturb her. If he woke her up, she would turn into a furious ball of flame, angry that he hadn't written in so long. If he didn't wake her up, she would flip out over that fact that he hadn't woken her up.

It was a tough decision that he would rather not make.

Winry stirred then. She made a disgruntled face, shifted in her position, and wrapped that wool more tightly around her.

Ed wrinkled his eyebrows. How could she be cold? It was well into spring, and the air was neither cold nor hot. However, it wasn't cool enough for heavy clothing, a wool blanket, and a shivering Winry.

He walked toward her and got a closer look at her face. Her cheek bones were prominent, almost leaping out of her skin. Her flesh, always a brilliant tan, had melted into a ghastly shade of white. And on her right wrist, her tiny right wrist, was a large purple bruise that extended and hid in the cuff of her sweater

_What… The… Hell?_

He bent down quickly and reached out a hand to shake her. Her shoulders were smaller than they used to be. It was as if they would break beneath his now large hands.

"Winry, wake up."

She winced and her eyelids fluttered.

"Ouch, Ed," she muttered. "That hurts."

He raised an eyebrow. "You knew I was here?"

She opened her eyes and focused them on his face. Out of everything that had changed, her eyes still remained a brilliant and fantastic blue.

"No," she smiled faintly. "Welcome home."

He stood and rubbed the back of his neck, as a way to avoid her gaze. "Are you mad at me?"

"For not writing?" he heard her say behind him. "Of course I am."

Ed hunched his shoulders and turned. "Aren't you gonna hit me with that big ass wrench?"

She smiled and chuckled faintly. "No. I'm just glad you're back."

He crossed his arms. "You sure have changed."

Winry's smile faltered and she quickly turned away from him, her gaze falling on the sky. "Perhaps."

Edward groaned. "Come on Winry. Let's go inside, ok? I'm starving and-" His sentence was cut short when he saw another multicolored mark around upon her shoulder.

"Winry," he asked weakly, and sat beside her. "Why are you covered in bruises?"

She turned. "Oh, you saw that? I was helping Granny transfer some old steel from the shed and I slipped on the porch. No big deal."

He remained cautious. "You aren't lying to me, are you?"

She seemed to contemplate for a moment, but then shook her head. "No."

Ed smiled, satisfied. Winry would never lie to him. "Good, now let's go inside."

He turned to walk away, but her voice stopped him.

"Would you mind helping me up?" Winry asked faintly. "I'm still a bit tired."

Ed huffed and turned around. "You lazy ass."

He stalked over and gripped her forearms tightly to heave her into a standing position. If he would have been paying attention, he would have heard her sharp intake of breath and seen her entire face clench in agony. And if her was looking closely, he would have seen the way her top hung loosely over her shoulders, and how her once fitting pants were being held up with a safety pin and a piece of rope. He would have felt how thin her arms had become, and how she struggled when she attempted to gain her footing. He was ignorant of the markings that sprinkled over her ribs, back, and legs.

Instead, he lifted her to her feet, turned, and jogged into the house, eager for lunch.

Winry stood heavily in the grass. She rubbed her sore arms- no doubt already sprouting bruises- and looked back towards the sky.

"I'm going to be in that sky soon," she said aloud. "Whatever is out there- God, Truth, Ishvalla, the universe- please just give me a little bit more time. I can't leave yet."

She looked toward the house, heard the sounds of Ed's agitation, Pinako's angry yelling, crashing plates, and smiled.

"Just give me a bit more time. I'm not done yet."

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><p>I just wanted to say thank you to all of my reviewers for taking the time to give some much needed criticism. Thank you.<p> 


	5. A False Life

_**In which Winry contemplates...**_

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><p><em>I felt that I would die<em>

Winry smiled as she entered the kitchen. Pinako was visibly fuming. Ed slurped at the last of the beef stew. And Al…

Al was finally smiling.

This made her happy. Ever since Alphonse had come back home, he wore a mask of despair and sadness. She'd caught him crying at least five times now. Now that Edward had returned, Al could finally return to normal. Maybe if Ed was here, Al wouldn't have to worry about her so much.

Alphonse chuckled and glanced at Winry. His eyes were glistening and his cheeks were red.

"Winry dear, are you hungry?"

She turned to Granny and shook her head. "Not really. Is it ok if I rest for a little while?"

Ed chewed on a roll absently as he watched the exchange.

Pinako hesitated. "You really should eat something. How about if I-"

"Don't worry about it," Winry waved her off. "I'm not all that hungry. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

She left the kitchen and went up the stairs as fast as her legs could take her.

In her room, she collapsed onto her bed, trying to catch her already labored breath.

_Ed's back,_ she thought. _I didn't think I would be able to see him again. From the looks of it, he doesn't know a thing. If he leaves quickly, then…_

She couldn't bring herself to finish that line of thought. The words, _before I die_ only made her anxious and sad. She was being a coward, she knew it. She was afraid for herself, and she was afraid for Ed. He had already been through so much.

_It's not fair_.

She clenched her teeth and rolled onto her stomach. God had taken her parents and Aunt Trisha. Truth had taken Ed and Al's bodies. Now the universe was taking her as well. Hadn't they sacrificed enough? Why couldn't fate just leave them alone?

She stood and wiped her tears away. There was no point in crying. She had done enough of that already.

Almost a year ago, when she found out she was sick, she came home a weeping, sobbing mess. Pinako took the news in stride, offering open arms and a shoulder to cry on. Winry locked herself in her room for days, sobbing and feeling sorry for herself. As the week came to a close, Pinako barreled down her door, yanked Winry out of her cloud of angst, and shoved a wrench in her hands.

"That is enough!" she yelled. "Get downstairs and get to work this instant! My granddaughter will not cry herself into her grave. You will have dignity and respect for yourself, young lady."

Winry collapsed on the floor, with the wrench held tightly in her hands. She hid behind her hair, her eyes clear and free of tears.

"You're right," she whispered. She clenched the tool tightly. "What's the matter with me? Just because I'm… I'm…"

Pinako bent down and lifted Winry to her feet. "My baby, my little Winry." She patted her hand. "You have to get a hold of yourself. I've known for a while that my time is coming, and while I don't have a definite time frame, I live every day to the fullest. You see, we don't know when we will die. We could go tomorrow, while walking down the road. The house could catch on fire. The roof could cave in."

"Stop being morbid," Winry whispered. The old woman's eyes remained fierce and determined.

"Just because you're sick doesn't mean you can stop living," Pinako said softly. "This cancer is going to take you away soon, but it doesn't matter, honey. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to make it go away. Do what you want to do. Lay out in the sun. Go swimming. Run around with Dean. Continue with your automail. Do whatever you want. That's what life is, Winry. It's _living._"

Winry felt her lip quiver. "But… it's not fair, Granny," she blubbered. "It's not fair."

Pinako smiled, her eyes glazing over with unshed tears. "Life isn't fair, sweetheart. But please, honey, come out of this room."

She did as she was told. Over the next few months, she tinkered with automail, ran up and down the dirt road, took trips to the lake, and helped out as much as she could. She forgot all about her sickness.

That is, until it cruelly reared its ugly head.

A month ago, she began to tire and fatigue quite easily. Whenever she ate, it would come right back up. She would get frequent pains all over her body. Whenever she so much as nudged something, she bruised horribly. Over time, she lost over twenty five pounds. Her medicine stopped working. Her doctor, who made frequent house calls, informed her that this was bound to happen. Her body had officially ceased responding to treatments.

There was nothing anyone could do.

She had two months, tops.

She didn't break down and lock herself in her room again. She continued doing what she liked to do, despite her limitations. Instead of running up the dirt road, she would walk about halfway, and then lie under a tree for the rest of the day. Instead of swimming, she would dip her legs in the water and watch Dean run after birds. She continued living, as Granny had instructed. She was _content_.

But now… Now Ed and Al show up, and all she wanted to do was crawl up in her sock drawer and hide. She knew she had to tell them, but she that didn't mean she wanted to.

"Winry?" Al's muffled voice called behind her door. "Can I come in?"

She sat up slowly. "Sure, Al."

She didn't even have to look at him to know what he was going to ask. "Al…" she started.

"When are you going to tell him?" he huffed. His eyes were brimming already.

"I can't right now, Al. I-" she stopped as he once again interrupted her.

"Don't you think he deserves to know?" His voice rose. "You're his _fiancée_, Winry!"

Her heart skipped. "You know how he is; he probably didn't even mean it seriously."

Alphonse's features softened. "Is that why?"

Winry looked away. "No. I just… I just can't tell Edward yet."

"Tell me what?"

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><p><strong>Yes, I know, I'm horrible. The past few months have been seriously hectic, so let me break it down simply: senior year, senior project, exams, prom, work, graduation. Well, now it's summer and I have LOADS of time on my hands, so I can finally work on Forgive Me again :) And don't worry; I don't plan on dropping this story. I know where I'm going with it, and I know how it's going to end. I should have a definate chapter count in the next two chapters.<strong>

**Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Also, reviews seriously help me write and edit quicker so I can get this out to you guys faster. Call it a kick in the butt, if you will :)**


	6. Tears Are Shed

_**In which tears are shed...**_

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><p><em>It hurts so much to hurt you<em>

Winry whipped her head around. Edward was standing at the open door, his arms folded and a frown on his lips.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" Winry stuttered. Her heart beat madly in her chest. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. He wasn't supposed to know. Not yet.

"Long enough to know that you're hiding something from me," he answered calmly. "What's wrong, Winry? You can tell me."

Winry choked as she looked at him. He had no idea. None.

"It's nothing, Ed," she answered softly.

His frown deepened. "You're lying."

Alphonse cleared his throat. "Winry-"

"No, Al-"

"But Winry-"

"I said no." Winry pleaded. She could feel her demeanor cracking.

"What in the hell is going on?" Edward uncrossed his arms and looked between his brother and best friend.

"Winry's sick!" Al blurted.

"What is he talking about?" Ed asked, irritated. He absolutely despised being in the dark about things, and he knew that they were hiding something from him. It was obvious in the way Winry pleaded with Al to shut up/

"Nothing, Ed, he's just worried-"

"Winry!" Alphonse cried. "Why are you doing this?"

Edward frowned and crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving until someone tells me what the hell is going on here."

"I'm just a little sick, Edward. Don't worry about it."

"A little bit sick? A little?" Alphonse was in hysterics. Winry silently pleaded with him to stop talking.

"You're not just a 'little sick', Winry!" he continued.

Edward looked toward Winry and watched as she bit her lip and broke eye contact to stare at her wall.

"Winry," Ed said softly. He moved toward her. "Are you ok? What's wrong?"

Winry screwed her eyes shut and hid behind her bangs. "I didn't want you to find out this way," she whispered.

Edward's heart beat wildly in his chest in dread. "Find out what?"

She shook her head and put her face in her hands. Muffled sobs broke through and messy tears dripped down her arms. The situation was completely out of her hands now. Al had seen to that.

Edward turned to his brother and grasped his arms. "Tell me," he demanded. "Now."

Alphonse paled and shook his head. "I can't…"

"Dammit, Alphonse! Tell me!"

Al choked and a new wave of tears began its descent. "She's s-sick…" he sobbed.

"Yes, I figured that much out," Ed huffed, exasperated.

"R-really sick…" Alphonse was beginning to lose it.

"Alphonse!"

"Cancer," Pinako said calmly from the door. All heads turned her way. "Winry has cancer, Edward."

His eyes widened. "What… What does that mean?" The dread in his heart spread throughout his entire body, and his mind went blank as the old woman explained.

Pinako sighed and wiped her glasses on her apron. "It's a degenerative disease that comes in different forms. Winry has it of the blood, froom what Doctor Jenkins tells me."

Rain began to fall outside the small house. Den trotted under the shed and ley her head on her paws. Whatever the humans were talking about, it was making the metal one angry. She was happy she wasn't in the house at the moment.

Pinako closed her eyes. "It's slowly spreading throughout her body. It will get harder for her to move soon. Her body will eventually begin to shut down."

Ed squeezed his fists. "Can't she take something for it?" Maybe a medicine-"

"Medicine won't work anymore," Winry whispered from her bed. "My body has stopped responding to treatments."

Edward spun around, suddenly enraged. "You meant to keep this from me?" he shouted. "When were you going to tell me, Winry? Or were you going to wait and let someone else do it when you were DEAD?"

Winry looked up at him. Though her eyesight was blurred from tears, she could see his face, and her heart broke to pieces. "That… that was my intention. I didn't want you to be upset-"

"Upset?" Edward shouted. His mouth screwed up and he closed his eyes. "Fine," he spat.

Without another word, he pushed past Pinako. The front door slammed a moment later.

Alphonse made a move to follow, but Pinako halted him, silently communicating that Edward needed to be alone. Al nodded sadly, sent Winry an apologetic look, and slowly went to his own room.

"Oh Winry," Pinako cooed, and gathered her broken granddaughter in her arms. "He had to find out one day."

"Not like this," Winry blubbered. "Not like this."

* * *

><p>Edward stalked down the road, ignoring the rain that fell in sheets.<p>

To say he was angry was an understatement. He was furious.

Why did she hide it from him? After Pinako had clarified what Winry's disease was, his mind clicked back to a bit of research he had done a few years back. If her body was _already _rejecting treatments, then it had already progressed significantly. That meant she had been sick for a long time.

And all that time, she never once sent a letter, a telegram, or picked up a phone to contact him. Her excuse? She didn't want him to be hurt.

"Damn her!" he shouted to no one, and grasped his head in his hands. Before he knew it, his knees had connected with the ground, and his hunched over body was shaking in despair.

"Damn you, Winry," he croaked, and pounded the muddy ground with his fist. "Why?"

Under the weeping evening sky, Edward was thankful he had the rain to mask his tears.

* * *

><p><strong>I have recently been informed by one of my readers that the family dog's name is Den, not Dean. My computer is derpy, so it's been autocorrecting Den's name this entire time. So sorry about that! :D<strong>

**There is a song that I have been listening to over and over to establish a general mood of this story. It's _Only Human_ by K. If anyone has seen the drama, _1 Liter of Tears_, then you know what I'm talking about.**

**Speaking of _1 Liter of Tears,_ it is a fantastic movie and drama and I highly recommend it. I draw quite a bit of insperation from the two interpretations of this story. **

**Like always, please review! I noticed that a lot of people have favorited/alerted this fic, and while I'm very pleased and thankful, a review would make me super happy. Even if it's just to say that you liked/hated it. **

**Sorry for the super long author's note. 'Till next time!**


	7. So What Happens Now?

**_In which a disease is explained..._**

* * *

><p><em>Then you look at me<em>

_You're not shouting anymore_

_You're silently broken_

Edward had taken refuge under a tree for the rest of the night. The rain continued to fall in sheets, and the night air chilled him to the bone, but he refused to move. He suppressed all thought and simply stared out into the cemetery he had wandered into.

Of course he would end up here. Whenever he was angry or upset, he always stalked to the cemetery and told his mother all about his present troubles. So it was obvious that his angered and defeated feet brought him here. But he couldn't talk to his mother on this night. It seemed wrong of him to complain about death to a woman whom was already dead.

So he remained under the tree, struggling within himself to get up and stop acting like a child.

As the sky lightened grey with dawn, he stood and wiped the mud from his pants. Walking up the road, towards _her _house, he kept his mind blank, ignoring the inevitable truth. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep the thoughts from seeping into his consciousness.

"_Winry has cancer, Edward."_

"_It's a degenerative disease…"_

"…_her body will eventually shut down…"_

"_I didn't want you to find out like this."_

"_My body has stopped responding to treatments."_

"_Or were you going to wait and let someone else do it when you were DEAD?"_

"_That was my intention."_

His pace slowed and he gazed at the morning light. He knew that things were never going to be the same. Winry… His Winry…

Dying.

It was ridiculous. After all that they've been through; failed human transmutation, the constant battle with the homunculi, facing father, saving Amestris… After everything, it still hadn't been enough. He still hadn't been able to protect her.

Dammit! It was as if Truth had been fucking with him this entire time!

He clenched his teeth and violently kicked the fence along the road. A family of squirrels scattered from their hiding place and scampered up a tree. Ed scowled and continued walking.

It hadn't been enough that he and his brother had given themselves up. Now Truth wanted Winry. He blinked his blurry eyes rapidly and wiped the stray tears away. He had to get a hold of himself. He was Edward Elric, dammit! He wasn't known to be crier.

But… this was Winry. When he first saw her, lying underneath the oak tree, his entire being seemed to light up. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her. But after seeing how small she had gotten, deep inside he knew something was wrong. Maybe he had known all along, but he simply didn't want to admit it. He was a stubborn brute and he knew it, but he should have seen this coming. As soon as he saw her, he should have demanded for her to tell him what was wrong.

But he was an idiot. Instead, he had pushed it away and ignored her. And then when he found out… he screamed and stormed out like a child. He hadn't once thought about how she felt about it.

Edward was ashamed. He had walked out on the one girl he gave a damn about when she needed him. For Truth's sake, she was practically his _fiancée!_

Oh yes, he hadn't forgotten the day he proposed. His brother had scoffed when he told him. He didn't believe that a few nice words had been a proposal. But Edward knew that Winry understood, because only she would. And that's why he loved her.

And yet he had walked out on her.

What a great man he was.

With an air of determination he hadn't had before, he approached the Rockbell household.

* * *

><p>Ed stiffened as he stepped into the living room and came face to face with an unknown man.<p>

"Who are you?" he asked gruffly, vaguely noticing his brother exiting the room.

"You must be Edward Elric." The man held out his hand as if to shake. "I'm Dr. Jenkins. I've heard quite a lot about you."

Edward extended his hand. "Have you now?"

The older man smiled, the laughing lines around his mouth growing. "Miss Winry is fond of recounting the stories of your travels."

Well, if that wasn't a kick in the gut…

Dr. Jenkins face grew serious. "Actually, could you spare a moment?" He indicated Edward's dirty clothes. "From what Ms. Pinako tells me, you had a rough time last night. I'm sure you have questions."

Edward followed the doctor into the kitchen and took a seat by the window. Dr. Jenkins folded his hands over each other and addressed Edward calmly.

"What would you like to know?"

Ed took his time shifting through his murky thoughts before settling on a simple one. "What does she have, exactly?"

"Leukemia, or in simpler terms, a cancer of the blood."

"Is there a cure?" Ed was going to ask this question last, but it burst from his mouth without hesitation.

Dr. Jenkins sighed and looked out the window. "Unfortunately, no. I've been researching this disease for twenty years, and there still… There is nothing."

Edward's mind raced. "But what about Alkehestry ? That has to-"

"You think that after twenty years, I haven't already thought of that?" Dr. Jenkins cut in. "Alkehestry only heals external wounds, and while it has been known to heal internally, it's only temporary, as I'm sure you know." He pointed to his abdomen, the exact point where Edward had been pierced with an iron beam three years before.

"I was temporarily healed, but I had to see a doctor for it to be properly repaired."

"Exactly." The aged doctor removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes. "Wounds such as that is simply a repair of tissues and muscles. You had internal bleeding, and you were lucky you didn't puncture anything serious. However, Winry's disease is not in a congregated area. It flows throughout her entire body, through one of her most vital life forces. Due to the laws of Alchemy or Alkehestry, there is nothing that can be done. You of all people know that to exchange, something of equal value must be lost. There isn't any physical way that Winry's blood can be exchanged, and if there were a circumstance where this was possible, what is the equal of the purest form of life?"

Edward breathed deeply. "So, there is nothing we can do."

Dr. Jenkins pursed his lips. He couldn't count how many times he had been in this situation, but it was as if every time was his first. And every time, it got harder and harder. This time was no different.

"She still has a bit more time. The treatments may no longer work, but she can still move. She can eat on her own, and she has enough energy to make it up and down the stairs, which is amazing. Spend this time with her. There is no use in brooding. You will regret it; trust me."

He didn't want to ask. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

But he did anyway.

"How much time?"

There was silence for a moment. In that moment, Winry slept soundly. It had taken her a few hours to calm down, in which time Dr. Jenkins had been called to evaluate her. Tear tracks marked her cheeks and her heart beat in sadness when she had finally fallen asleep.

Den was chasing after a squirrel.

Pinako was down in the basement, working on an automail foot for a farmer close to town.

And in this small kitchen, Edward was about to hear the time frame in which Winry's small body would break down and stop.

Dr. Jenkins opened his mouth, inhaled, and then breathed. "A month. Maybe two."

Edward hung his head in despair. His teeth clenched and his breath hitched. "This… can't be."

Dr. Jenkins exited the room quietly, and stepped outside, as he had done many times before. However, before he shut the door, he could faintly hear a soft, heartbroken cry from the kitchen.

**To my two reviewers who don't have an account I can reply to:**

**To fmaXp3rt: Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I've been waiting for someone to criticize me. Lol, anyway, I have been working on fleshing out my stories. It's a bit of a problem for me. **

**To M.P: Thanks for reading! And aww! I'm so sorry I made you cry, but I guess that means I'm doing my job ;p And yes, the chapters are short, but I expect them to get a bit longer as it progresses. Once again, thank you!**

**And to the rest of my readers and reviewers, thank you for taking the time to read my story. It really makes my day. I'm working on adding some meat to this skeletal-like fic, so hang in there XD**


	8. For Just A Moment

**_In which a trio is reunited..._**

* * *

><p><em>I'd give anything now<em>

_To kill those words for you_

The rest of the day was grey and dreary at the Rockbell household. Winry slept for hours, and was only disturbed when Pinako woke her for dinner, which consisted of a lumpy green soup. After Dr. Jenkins' confrontation with Ed, he spoke to Pinako for a few moments, gave her a small bag of pain medication for Winry, and made his departure.

For what seemed like hours, Edward sat at the kitchen table, staring at the worn and aged cabinets. There was a round burnt mark on the cabinet door nearest the fridge. He never lost focus with that spot. It was steady in the scorched plain of the wood. It allowed him to feel, but in the realm of this mark.

Somewhere deep in his brain, he already knew that Alkehestry was no use. Still, he couldn't help _not _asking Winry's doctor about it. If it could extend her life by even a few minutes, wasn't it worth asking about?

Alphonse had come in during his revere, pulled a chair up, and simply sat next to his distraught older brother. After a long while, Edward wrapped his arm around him, and they leaned against each other, their bodies finally giving into exhaustion. Almost unanimously, it hit them that there was absolutely nothing they could do for one of the dearest people in their lives. Winry had saved them both at the tender age of eleven, when they failed to bring their mother back. When Alphonse, a trembling suit of armor, held out his dismembered and bleeding brother to Winry, she did not shy away. She pursed her lips, called for Pinako, and single handedly reconstructed the eldest Elric brother.

She was one of the strongest and bravest people Edward had ever met, and that made it all the harder to watch her fall apart.

So he continued to watch the burnt spot on the cabinet, while his brother screwed him eyes shut, determined to keep his tears within him.

Winry opened one bleary eye, then the other. She blinked twice, looked around, and started when she saw that Ed had pulled up a chair next to her bed. His eyes were red and puffy, and a new wave of regret washed over her.

"Edward, I-"

He held a hand up and she stopped short. His voice was haggard when he finally spoke. "I'm sorry."

Winry sat up slowly and shook her head from side to side. "You shouldn't be."

Ed groaned and dropped his head. "But I am. For everything, I am so, so sorry."

Winry slowly grinned and reached out to him. "Hey," she whispered, and patted his head.

He peeked up from under his hands.

"It's ok," she continued. "You don't have to be sorry."

"I should have been here," he said suddenly. "I shouldn't have gone to the west for so long. I should have stayed here with you. I should have-"

"I should have, I should have, I should have," Winry mimicked. "Stop blaming yourself, Ed. Even if you did stay here, it wouldn't have changed anything. I would still be sick, and you would still blame yourself. I know you."

Edward grimaced. "How can you be so calm? When you're-"

"Dying?" Winry finished with a faint smile.

His grimace deepened. "It's not funny."

Winry sank into the pillows and stared at the ceiling. "The choices were ours, and no one else's. You chose to bring your mother back, I chose to repair you. You chose to seek the Truth, I chose to stubbornly follow you and make sure you didn't kill yourself. Or damage my automail," she added with a smirk. "After destroying Father and the homunculi, you and Al chose to expand your knowledge. When I found out I was sick, I chose not to tell you."

She turned her head toward him, and took note of his defeated and distressed expression. He pitied her and she hated it. "I didn't want to keep it from you, but I saw no other solution. I guess… I guess I didn't want you to look at me like you are now."

Ed suddenly felt very ashamed and foolish. The only reason she did what she did was so he wouldn't hate her. Even now, as her body was being ravaged by a disease, she still cared for others more than herself.

He chuckled, his throat thick with unshed tears. "You really are a nut, you know that?"

Winry's smile deepened. "Well, I try."

And with Winry's tinkling laugh, things between the two returned to normal.

"What were you doing anyway?" Winry asked Edward at dinner the next night.

Ed stared at her, his mouth full of casserole and a blank look on his face.

"In the west," she clarified, and continued to rip a bread roll apart. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry that night, but she was required to take her medication with food. She compromised with bread.

Edward gulped down his semi- chewed dinner. "Research mostly. I was trying to find out what other regions of the world used as a form of Alchemy."

Winry's eyes widened. "There are other forms of Alchemy?"

He nodded. "Mhm. Out west, it seems like no one really wants to talk about, but it's obvious in use. However, in the east, it is used to heal."

"Which is where I was," Al chimed in. "I was in the East, studying Alkehestry."

Winry smirked wickedly. "I bet that wasn't all you were doing. There's a certain Xingese girl I know who simply _adores_ you. If I'm not mistaken, isn't that to the west?"

Ed laughed loudly as Al darkened. "That isn't- I mean- Mei is- you know…" Al sputtered.

Winry laughed and poked Al in the arm. "Don't worry about it. I was just teasing. Plus, she's adorable. I'm not surprised that you're with her."

Al's eyes widened comically. "Who said I was with her?"

Winry squeezed her lips together, but couldn't help the giggles that escaped. After a moment, her infectious laughter caught on and a few chuckles escaped him. It turned to full blown laughter when Den suddenly jumped on the table and nosedived for Edward's plate.

The sounds of hysterical laughter and angry fussing over ruined dinner drifted out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the basement. Pinako looked up from her work momentarily, and a rare smile lit up the old woman's face.

_It's about time._

Winry giggled as she followed Ed and Al up the stairs. Al continued to fuss as dinner over his nonexistent- or so he says- relationship with Mei, and Ed showed his brother no mercy as he continuously ribbed him. Every now and then, he would look back at her, a small smile on his face and a blush hinting his cheeks. Each and every time, her heart would light up and flutter like a bird.

For a few hours, they had momentarily forgotten about her illness, and things went back to the way they were supposed to.

When the trio made it to the second floor, the brothers said their goodbyes to Winry. Al gave her a gentle hug, told her he would see her in the morning, and made his way to his room. Ed surprised her when he reached for her hand and squeezed it, ever so softly.

"You'll be ok?" he asked quietly, the emotion in his eyes betraying the smile on his face.

She squeezed back and nodded. "I'll see you in the morning, Ed."

He opened his mouth to say something and met her eyes. For a moment, something flashed, but it disappeared just as quickly when he shook his head and started to walk away.

Halfway down the hall, he stopped, fought with his thoughts, walked two more paces, stopped again, and then finally turned to her.

Better just to blurt it out, right?

"Hey, Winry?"

She removed her hand from her doorknob and shifted her head to look at him. "Yeah?"

"The law of equivalent exchange," he started. "It will never change. No matter what, you always have to exchange equally for something great to happen."

Winry furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you going somewhere with this?"

His face darkened. "What I mean to say is…"

_Ah, hell, just __**say**__ it already!_

"When you give someone half of your life, you can never, ever take it back." He slowly raised his eyes to hers, which began to widen. "I've never taken mine back, Winry."

She broke eye contact with him, and stared at the floor, which was growing more blurry by the second. Moments ago, she was happy again with her two favorite people in the world, and now… now she couldn't help the overwhelming sorrow that overcame her.

"Why, Ed?" she choked. "Why did you ever give it to me?"

She didn't give him a chance to respond as she darted into her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>You know what sucks? Having the best inspiration at work, rushing home to write, sitting in front of your computer...<strong>

**And then forgetting everything.**

**Yep, I have to worst moments of brilliance.**

**Anyway! Thanks for reading another chapter. While this story is overall just... depressing... it will get better, I promise. It might not always be sunshine and rainbows, but hey, who knows how it will end? **

**To fmaXp3rt: You can make your own profile if you want to have your own username. You don't have to upload stories either. And thanks for your long review! You seriously are an amazing person for taking the time to help me out :) I will put your suggestions to good use. *bows***

**To Itachi26: This is your first EdXWinry fanfic? Oh wow, I hope I'm not disappointing!**

**And to all my other anonymous reviewers- and all reviewers, for that matter- thanks for your support and reviews! I'm so sorry I'm already making some of you cry. *patpat* It'll be alright, boos!**

**Like always, review please! It makes me so happy to hear- well, read- what you all have to say. **


	9. You Must Love Me

**There is an important note at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong><em>In which a prayer is answered...<em>**

* * *

><p><em>Each time I say something I regret<em>

_I cry, "I don't wanna lose you!"_

Winry slipped to the floor, exhaustion overcoming her small body. After all the events of that day, she had almost forgotten how sick she was.

Almost.

She grimaced and reached for the waste basket as a wave of nausea took hold of her small frame. After several long moments, her stomach tightened and finally released with nothing left to dispel.

Her mouth tasted like acid, but she couldn't heave herself from the floor to rinse it out. Exhaling, she ran her hand through her hair, and wasn't surprised when multiple strands remained intertwined in her fingers when she pulled away.

Her hair had been slowly falling out for months now, but it seemed that lately it was coming out in clumps. Dr. Jenkins had told her to expect something like this to happen, since the side effects of her medicine was hair loss.

That was the least of her worries.

When she decided not to tell Edward about her illness, it wasn't only because of how she would feel. She knew she would be heartbroken until her final moment, but she didn't want him to be as well. To ease her pain, she would replay in her mind the moment he asked her to marry him. She remembered every detail. From the way he stuttered and turned red, and how he held her close and told her to wait for him.

She had come to terms with the fact that their happily ever after would never happen. She'd accepted that he would live long after her, happily, and perhaps start a family with another.

Nothing had prepared her for what he said just moments ago.

She stared at the strands of hair still entwined in her fingers, her vision blurring. She couldn't stand it. It wasn't fair! After putting her feelings behind her, he says that he still loves her? How was she supposed to react to that?

Her face contorted and she slowly laid flat, her blurry eyes never once leaving the strands of hair in her hand.

"It's not fair," she whispered.

The next morning came and went. Sometime in the night, Winry stumbled to bed. She slept till noon.

When she finally emerged, she was holding a large lump wrapped in a sheet. Ignoring the brother's questioning gazes, she silently went into the bathroom, ran the water for a short while, and emerged once more, only the sheet in her hand.

The Elric's said nothing.

The day went by much the same. Winry came out only to shower and eat, and Edward tried as hard as he could to talk to her. But it was as if he wasn't even there.

She didn't want to treat him that way, but she saw no other way.

Two days later, Edward finally ambushed her in the living room.

Winry averted her eyes as Edward bore holes in her forehead.

"Please talk to me, Win," he pleaded.

She made to walk past him, but he grabbed hold of her arm. She winced and tried to pull her arm away, but his hold was firm.

"Stop ignoring me."

"You're hurting me."

His eyes widened and he released her. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Why did you say that last night?" she asked quite suddenly. Her eyes were fierce. "How could you still care for me after everything?"

"Are you hearing yourself, Winry? I've always cared for you!"

"You shouldn't."

"Would you just listen to me-"

"I can't do this right now, Ed-"

"Well, when is it going to happen, Winry? Because the way I see it, there aren't that many opportunities left."

Winry stared at him, a mixture of anger and sorrow clouding her thoughts. "Why… why would you… even... say that?"

Edward's mask shattered and his face melted into a blur of hopeless emotion. "Do you think you're the only one suffering right now? Al cries himself to sleep at night. The bat is calmer than ever, but even I can see that she's hurting. And I... dammit, I can't even think straight!"

Her breathing grew ragged as she continued to stare at him. "Then why are you still here?"

He paused for a moment, looking at her as if for the first time. "Isn't it obvious?" he whispered. "Because I love you."

She shook her head wildly. She couldn't accept it. "You can't. Because of my disease… You can't. How can I… How can I be of any use to you now?"

Ed closed the gap between them and wrapped her in his arms. She didn't pull away.

"I need you with me, Winry. Haven't you realized that yet?"

With those few words, her resolve completely crumpled. Her body sagged and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his middle. "I never thought… that it would be so hard."

He tucked her head under his chin. "It doesn't have to be. We're here for you; Al, the bat, and even Den. We're all here, cheering you on. You'll be ok, Winry."

"What I'd give for a hundred years," she said, her voice thick. "Every day, it seems to get harder and harder. What is the good of the strongest heart in a body that's falling to pieces?"

She chuckled and sniffed. "A serious flaw, I tell you."

"You're crying." He stated. "I thought I told you only to cry tears of happiness."

She looked up then, her smile nearly blinding. "I am."

His smirk molded into a soft smile, and he held her close. "I love you, Winry."

She tightened her hold. "I love you too."

* * *

><p>That night, the entire household slept soundly, save for one. She was sitting up in bed, her hands gently folded in her lap. She stared out the window, moonlight shining in her eyes. A smile played on her lips as she closed her bright eyes.<p>

Her head bowed and her hands rose in silent prayer.

_Thank you. Thank you for giving me enough time to see him again. Thank you for allowing me to love him, and for him to return it. _

_I ask for nothing more; no more time, no more tears, no more fear._

_I am finally happy. I think I know what my purpose in life was. I was born to meet Edward. I believe in him, and he believes in me. There are no certainties now, and this isn't where we intended to be… but I love him. _

_I concealed my feelings for him for so long. I longed to tell him how I felt, but I was frightened. Thank you for giving me the courage to accept his love. _

_Mom, Dad… I know that you're waiting for me. I still have time here… and I want to spend it with the person I love._

* * *

><p><strong>Inspiration for this chapter- <em>You Must Love Me,<em> Madonna**

**Evita is a fascinating and heartbreaking story of the rise of a woman destined for greatness. She was the most loved- and the most despised- woman of all time.**

**Thanks for reading! The next few chapters are going to be a bit longer, now that all of the angst is out of the way.**

**I'd like to send a shoutout to all of my reviewers. You guys rock! When I'm dead tired after work, and just want to crawl in my sock drawer and sleep for days, I read all of your fantastic reviews and get all giggilly and inspired all over again!**

**In short, more reviews- more I feel the need to write.**

**Don't worry though! I won't give up on this story! I will have an ending, I PROMISE you!**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I have a new page on Tumblr devoted to Forgive Me. It will contain personal review responses, chapter excerpts and updates, inspiration, and more goodies. The link is on my profile.**


	10. A Good Day

**_In which a normal day becomes a great one..._**

* * *

><p><em>But somehow I know that you will never leave me<em>

"Do it."

"No."

"Yes."

"I refuse."

"Do it or else."

"Nope."

"One…"

"You're counting down? Seriously?"

"Two…"

"Come on!"

"Three!"

Winry pounced at Edward with all of her strength, sending him crashing to the floor. "Drink your milk!"

Ed huffed and wiggled under her weight. "Never."

Smirking, she crawled up his chest and pinned his upper arms with her legs. She planted herself firmly against him and tipped the glass.

He bucked wildly, and would have sent her flying, had it not been for the way she squeezed her legs against him. With that simply moment, his bucking ceased and a blush dusted his cheeks.

"Winry-" His words cut short as a gush of white, disgusting, rancid, horrible liquid upended from the glass and into his open mouth.

"What the… Dammit Winry!"

The girl in question sat smugly, arms folded over her chest. "I said, 'Do it or else.' You had to choose the hard way."

Ed looked away, his face blazing red. "Yeah… whatever…"

Winry cocked her head to the side and leaned closer. "What's wrong?"

"Could you… get off?" His words were choked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Am I too heavy for you?"

_Hardly, _Edward thought, his previous thoughts disappearing.

"Well, I'm not moving until you finish your milk." She held up the half empty glass.

"Over my dead body!"

"We'll see about-"

He cut her off by raking his fingers up her side, tickling her mercilessly. He knew tickling was her weakness, and it guaranteed escape.

She broke into a wild fit of giggles and rolled off of him. "Ok," she huffed. "Alright- you win- stop!"

Ed smirked and plucked the smelly glass out of her hand. "Looks like you chose the hard way too."

Winry rolled her eyes and sat up. She held out a hand for him to take, and he pulled her up carefully, his eyes intent on her face, watching for any signs of pain. There were none.

He helped her to the table, where she sat down heavily and drained her own glass. A sweat was breaking out on her forehead and her breath came out in pants.

Edward looked away, suddenly feeling very bad for not drinking the stupid milk. She was known for being rash, even in her current state. If he had just drunk the rancid crap, then she wouldn't have jumped at him, causing her to lose the little energy she had.

Staring at the half empty cup, Edward made up his mind.

Winry stared at him in shock as he did the unthinkable.

He voluntarily picked up the glass, brought it to his lips, tipped it, and allowed it to go down his throat.

"Did you… did you just drink your milk? On your own?"

She was shocked. There was no way. He had never once, in all the years she'd known them, drank his milk by his own jurisdiction. She always had to resort to violence with him, which led to broken furniture, shouts filled with words people from town would gasp at, and more than a dozen bruises.

Her mouth was still hanging open when his face paled and he dashed to the sink, dispelling the entire glass.

She sighed and sat back. _Well, at least he tried._

* * *

><p>The day after the milk incident, Alphonse suggested a shopping trip. His goal was to get everyone out of the house, which seemed to be a breeding ground for angst lately. Winry agreed immediately, and after seeing how excited Winry was, Edward decided to tag along as well.<p>

Winry was just making it down the stairs when Alphonse blocked her path, frantically explaining how Pinako had asked him to stay with her to finish an automail job.

"Why did she ask you?" Winry had asked in confusion. "What do you know about automail?"

Alphonse masked his lie perfectly. "It's not much; she just needs some heavy lifting done." To top it off, he batted his eyes and pouted. "I wish I could go shopping with you two, but it's not a good idea to anger your grandmother."

Winry giggled, knowing full well the 'Wrath of Gran'. "I guess there's no choice then. See you later, Al."

Al and Pinako peeked out the window, watching Edward and Winry walk down the path. Her arm was wrapped around his, and he was turned away, a blush rushing to his face.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Al asked nervously.

Pinako exhaled the smoke from her pipe, and after a moment, finally spoke. "This world has been harsh to you three. For years, I've watched the ones closest to me suffer, but no one has suffered as much as you all have. However," her voice lowered. "Winry always came to me for everything. Whenever she was sad, or angry, she would come find me and I would gladly listen to whatever it was that was bothering her. I always believed that I could be there for her no matter what. She could always turn to me. But then one day, she didn't turn to me anymore."

The aged woman tapped her pipe against the glass. "I've seen her suffer. While you two were off saving the world, my granddaughter remained here, looking out of the window, waiting for you two to come up the road. For two years, she waited."

"Gran, I'm sorry-"

Pinako held her hand up. "You two had your lives to live. Winry, however, doesn't only live for herself; she never has. For years now, she's lived for your brother. I don't see why," she added sarcastically. "But she does."

Alphonse gazed at the woman thoughtfully. "It this why we're staying behind?"

Pinako lazily rolled her head to meet his eyes. "Are you just figuring that out?"

Her junior reddened and scratched his head bashfully. "Sorry."

Pinako smiled and turned back to the window. Ed and Winry were just disappearing over the hill. "Those two deserve happiness, don't you think?"

* * *

><p>"Oh Ed, look at this!" Winry pointed excitedly to a thirty-six piece wrench set, currently displayed in a hardware shop window. "Look how shiny they are!"<p>

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have these tools already?"

She huffed and pouted. "Yes, but the ones at home don't count. They are older than _Gran._"

"They must be pretty rare then, huh?" he asked, amused. "How much do you think we could get if we pawned 'em?"

Winry nudged his shoulder. "Not funny."

"You started it."

The young woman sighed and stretched her arms above her head. The breeze wrapped her yellow dress around her knees, and the cool air was welcomed on her warm skin. It was a perfect day to go shopping.

"So," Edward asked a few shops down. "How are you feeling?"

Winry pursed her lips. "I'm fine right now."

"Just fine?" he asked quickly. "Are you in pain? I knew we shouldn't have done this. How can-"

"Edward!" Winry interrupted his tirade. "I'm ok, I promise."

"Are you sure?" His face was etched in obvious worry.

She smiled and reached to hold his hand. He complied and the couple walked a few paces in silence. "Dr. Jenkins said there will be days when I feel absolutely fine. Today is one of those days, I guess."

"Are you sure?" Edward repeated. "We can always go back."

"I'm fine, Ed, really." Winry patted his arm in reassurance. "Bad moments come, but they go. Some days are fine, and some are a little bit harder. That doesn't mean we have to waste the good days."

He sighed in defeat. "If you think so…"

"I know so." She smiled brightly at him and pulled him along, hell bent on getting her hands on the shiny tools.

With her hand in his, Edward could feel his entire body go warm. Watching her happily exchange kind words with the vendor, slowly remove the tools from their leather pouches in awe, and giggling over the feel of them in her hands, made Edward do a double take at the girl he had confessed to. If he had any doubts before, they were dashed away.

Truth be damned, he loved this girl. No matter what it takes, he would do everything in his power to make sure she kept that brilliant smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Winry frowned as Edward held the money out for the tools. "Really Ed, I can just pay for it myself."<p>

He smirked and dangled the wrapped wrench set in her face. "Who said I was buying them for you?"

She scoffed. "What do you need with a wrench set?"

"I can use them."

"For what?"

"…Wrench stuff."

Winry giggled and folded her arms. "Come on, Ed. You don't even know how to use one."

"You don't either!" He swung the shopping bag over his shoulder. "The only thing I've seen you do with a wrench is hum them at me." He rubbed his head for dramatic effect.

"Well, that's because you deserve it." She retorted, but dropped the subject of the wrenches, in favor of holding his hand. She didn't miss the slight smile that graced his face as their palms met.

Winry smiled softly and held her head high. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she was finally happy. Years ago, she wouldn't have been able to even imagine strolling down the street, hand in hand, with the only boy she ever loved. It was surreal, watching him blush and smile in her presence.

However, reality was always one step ahead.

Throughout the day, their pace seemed to slow and become a turtle- like crawl. Winry's hands began to shake slightly with fatigue and her eyes drooped. She would have fallen flat on her face if he hadn't secured an arm around her waist.

They dropped on a nearby bench. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't think I would be so tired."

After a moment of decision, Ed crouched to the ground and deposited his bags. She looked at him curiously as he pointed to his back. "Get on."

"What?" He had to be joking.

"You're asleep on your feet. We'll get home faster if you get on my back." He hid his rather embarrassed face from her.

She scooted to the edge of the bench and laid her hands on his shoulders. His arms wrapped around her legs and after a minute of shifting, they were headed back home, her head wresting on his right shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered as they made their way down the long dirt path. She was asleep before he could reply.

* * *

><p><strong>The official page for Forgive Me is live! Remove the spaces: forgivemefiction. tumblr. com<strong>

**Inspiration for this chapter- _Your Little Body's Slowly Breaking Down, _Evita.**


	11. Time

**_In which a plan is formulated..._**_  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Cause you were made for me<em>

The cool night air blew through the open window and into Winry's bedroom. She stared at her naked body in the mirror, a ghost of pale skin naturally illuminated in the moonlight. Her shoulders jutted out awkwardly and the skin of her arms stretched over bone. She lifted a thin finger and traced a line from the hollow of her throat down to her pelvic bone. Dips and curves, which weren't there before, hardly fazed her.

She traced back up, until the pads of her fingers dusted across her temples, then up further, still unfamiliar with the slick skin that had taken the place of her hair.

A large bruise was forming, purple and angry, on her right knee. At dinner two nights ago, she stood to let Den outside when a rush of dizziness sent her crashing to the floor. The pain had been mind- numbing, but she hardly thought the fall deserved to be remembered with such an ugly skin marking. It only added to the other small bruises that covered her body, all caused from small falls, bumping into things, nudging objects slightly…

Sighing, she pulled a thin robe over her shoulders and turned away from the mirror. It seemed that her body was growing more and more sensitive every day. Sharp little pains were becoming more and prominent all over her body, mainly in her joints. Going to the bathroom- just down the hall- was a marathon event.

Her body was slowly breaking down, and she knew it. Before long, something as simple as standing would be virtually impossible.

It wasn't that she didn't want to die; she'd accepted the fact that she would. The truth was, she longed for just a little bit more time. She wanted to laugh a little more. She wanted to work with one more automail piece. She wanted to joke with Al. But most importantly, she wanted to love Edward with all of her being. She wasn't asking for forever.

Just a little more time.

* * *

><p>Winry tugged at the pink scarf on her head in annoyance. "It's itchy."<p>

Dr. Jenkins chuckled as he pushed the sleeve of her sweater up. "You'll get used to it."

She kept quite as he pushed the needle into her arm. "So that's it? Swab it and stick it in?"

"That's it." He slowly pulled the needle out and placed it to the side. "Just remember to release any air bubbles by pushing the lever slightly, like this." He pushed the top of the needle in a compressing motion.

"How long will the medication last?"

He pursed his lips. "You have enough supply for two months. If all goes well within that time, give me a call and I'll bring more up."

Winry noticed how he didn't elaborate. She chose to ignore it.

"Overtime, the dosage will have to increase," Dr. Jenkins continued. "As the disease progresses, it will become harder and harder to perform basic tasks. While the medication won't reverse the effects, it will numb the pain. It's not an antidote, Winry, so please don't think of it as one."

She shook her head. "No, I understand." She rolled up her sleeve and eased off the examination table.

"I hope to see you soon, and I'm just a phone call away if you need me." Dr. Jenkins patted her head softly. "Be careful and take your medicine."

She nodded and headed out the door. Edward was sitting just outside, his attire much more casual than what she was used to. His hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail- by her doing, as a matter of fact- and his long bangs fell over his eyes.

He looked up quickly as the door opened. "Is everything ok?"

Winry laughed and slipped her hand in his. "Just fine. I feel great!"

"Really?" He searched her eyes for any trace of deception. When he found none, he exhaled and flashed her his signature smile. "Good."

Dr. Jenkins cleared his throat and handed Ed the small package filled with Winry's medication. "Make sure she has two doses a day, one in the morning and one at night. She knows the protocol, so there should be no problem. If there are any problems, Pinako knows my number."

"Don't worry," Winry chuckled. "We'll be ok. See you later!"

She tightened her hand in Ed's and gave him a gorgeous smile. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Nice to see you again, Winry. I hope you are well?"<p>

Winry gently placed her teacup down and grinned. "I'm actually feeling great today, _Mrs. Mustang_."

Riza Mustang, formally known as Riza Hawkeye, the subordinate of the Flame Alchemist, smiled widely and traced her cup with her finger. "Just Riza, if you don't mind. And I've only been Mrs. Mustang for a month."

They sat beneath a brilliant white veranda. Soft pink roses climbed the trellises and intertwined amongst the vines hanging dangling over the edge of the roof. A small table was adorned with bowls filled with multicolored pastries and matching teacups brimming with amber liquid.

Winry giggled and clapped her hands together. "I can't believe he finally got up the nerve to propose to you. And you actually said yes!"

"Well, let me tell you, it wasn't easy," Riza began. "Roy is anything but conventional, and he sent me on a mission to obtain the knowledge on how to construct a perfect alchemic bond between fire and ice. When I returned, he looked over the notes and said, quite naturally, 'So I suppose it is possible for a marriage between us.'"

Winry hid a blush. "Just like an alchemist, huh? Edward was the same way."

Riza blinked rapidly. "Edward proposed?"

"Well," Winry pursed her lips. "It wasn't exactly conventional, but I suppose he did."

Riza leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. She couldn't believe Edward Elric, the FullMetal Alchemist, smallest man in the land- well, at least he was- had actually gone and proposed.

"How did he do it?"

Winry swirled her spoon in her teacup. "Well, it was about two years ago."

"Two years ago?" Riza frowned.

"Yeah. He was going away to the west, in search of a form of alchemy there. Before he left, he started reciting the law of equivalent exchange, saying that if I gave him half of my life, he would give me half of his."

Riza's frown softened. "How very typical of him. For as long as I've known that boy, he's lived by that law. I'm surprised, actually," she dropped her chin in her hands. "Even after losing his alchemy, he still follows the code."

Winry shrugged. "It's all he knows. Truth, understanding, logic, science… Now, it's no longer about alchemy, but about life. He was taught himself to believe in what's real. Maybe that's why he still believes in the laws of alchemy. For him, those laws are truth, they are reality. It doesn't matter if he can transmute anymore."

Riza raised her teacup. "Wisely said, Winry. Or should I say, _Winry Elric?"_

"Riza!"

* * *

><p>"So that means…"<p>

"Yeah…"

Roy Mustang sighed as he stared out the window overlooking the veranda. "Cancer; how tragic."

He watched his wife converse with the happy young woman beside her, his face unreadable. "She's already lost her hair? How far along is she?"

Edward shook his head. "She did it on her own. It was thinning and falling out and one morning, she came downstairs and it was all gone; said she shaved it to make it easier."

Roy nodded and turned to the boy sitting on his couch. "You're feeling sorry for yourself, aren't you?"

Ed glanced up sharply. "I'm not."

"Then why aren't you out there with her? Why are you sitting in here, in the dark, conversing with me? I have better things to do then console you, FullMetal."

"I'm not looking to be consoled, Colonel."

Roy tsked. "It's General now, shorty. Watch your step."

Edward stood beside his former superior and gazed out the window. The comment on his stature didn't faze him. "You know, some days, she's just like she used to be: throwing wrenches, going ape shit over automail, drooling over tools… But there are days when she can barely move. She'll cry out in her sleep, refuse to eat…"

His voice wavered. "I'm scared."

Mustang sighed again, his façade slipping. "Everyone is scared. But do you see that?" He pointed outside. "Look at her. Does she look afraid?"

Ed gazed out the window as Mustang continued. "It seems to me that she has come to terms with it. She knows what she must do, and that makes her a very brave young woman. You have to be there for her Ed. If you love her, you must. Because that's what we do, you know?"

He sighed. "We have to protect the ones we love."

Edward's face colored. "How did you know?" he sputtered.

"Give me some credit, FullMetal. I've known since I first met you."

"That-that long?!"

"It was painfully obvious."

Ed dropped his head. "It's true. Winry's been there for me for years. When we tried to bring our mom back, she put me back together again."

"Literally."

Edward gave his superior an irritated look but continued. "She would work for days repairing my arm and leg, making sure everything possible was perfect. She'd come all the way to central just to make repairs. While we were in the North, she gave herself up to the man who killed her parents. Through everything, she was always there. And now I… I have to be there for her. And while I'm always helping her, I feel like it isn't enough. There has to be something I can do for her."

"You love her, don't you?"

Though his face tinged pink, Edward nodded. "Yeah."

Mustang gave Ed's shoulder a pat. "I think you already know what to do, don't you?"

Ed's eyes got that faraway look Mustang was so used to seeing. It meant that the gears within the young man's head were turning and clanking, formulating a plan with a 98% chance of success.

"General…"

"Yes?" Mustang inwardly beamed at his title.

"I'm going to need your help."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello again! I apologize greatly for my absence, and I have no excuse. Anywho, things are going swimming in college and now that things are calmed down, I can get to writing some more. Yes, this chapter was super short, but it needed to be here. The next one will be much longer.<br>**

**As a reward for your never ending patience with me, here's an excerpt from the next chapter, introducing one of our favorite characters to Forgive Me.**

* * *

><p>"Atrocity! Horrible!"<p>

"Major Armstrong-"

"A tale of woe! How can this be?!"

"Major-"

"After such an adventure of passion and horror, a horrible ending-"

"MAJOR, WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON?!"

"THE ART OF CLOTHING REMOVAL HAS BEEN PASSED-"

"_**I DON'T CARE!"**_


	12. The Question

**_In which the biggest question is asked..._**

* * *

><p><em>Somehow I'll make you see<em>

_How happy you make me, love_

Ed ran his fingers through his hair and rocked back on his heels. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and his eyes darted quickly from side to side. Surrounded by the bustling of the crowded Central train station, Edward fidgeted nervously. Winry sat on his suitcase, her face in her palm, her eyes watching him lazily.

"Are you ok?"

Edward glanced at her quickly, his face darkening, and looked away. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." His voice was cracking.

Winry raised an eyebrow. "Are you not feeling well? There's a restroom over there." She pointed across the station.

"I'm fine, Win," he said quickly, his fingers twitching.

She sighed and looked away. Something was obviously bothering him, but she knew by now to just leave him alone. He always came around eventually. She turned her focus toward the crowd of people surrounding them.

There was so much bustle and chaos around them that it almost made her laugh. Young women doted on their children and worriedly glanced around, searching for their husbands. Said husbands threw a fit over luggage claim and seating. Groups of young people frantically searched for their stations, sweat dripping from their red foreheads.

It was all so comical. The people around them felt their lives were coming to an end if they missed their train. After everything she and the Elric brothers had been through, catching a train was as easy as cake.

If she knew how to make a decent cake, that is.

That thought bothered her.

"Hey Ed…"

"What?"

Winry clasped her hands together and sighed. "I don't know…." The rest trailed off into mumbling.

Edward sighed. "I can't understand you if your mumbling."

"I said I don't know how to bake a cake," she grumbled out.

Ed pursed his lips. "But you can make pie."

"Well of course! Pie is easy! But I've never once made a decent cake."

"So what?"

Winry frowned. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not particularly."

"Well, it bothers me!" She crossed her arms irritably.

Edward glanced her way and sighed. Stepping over the luggage, he knelt beside her. "What's up with the cake? Is something bothering you?"

She sniffed. "Not really… I just want to learn how to bake a cake."

Edward chuckled softly and squeezed her shoulder. "You can learn when we get back home, ok?"

She nodded her head, her heart clearly not in it. "Sure."

The whistle blew overhead, signaling the next train. Passengers jumped up and reached for their shiny red tickets, waving them in the air for the entire world to see.

Winry stood up shakily, fighting the vertigo that usually set in as her body shifted vertically. A soft shove on her shoulder knocked her off balance, but she caught herself quick enough to see a rather large shape moving away from her. She continued staring until the figure turned slightly and gave an apologetic smile. A distinct yellow curl stood at the ready on his bald forehead, and his smile almost… sparkled.

Before she could say anything, Edward was reaching for her hand, their tickets at the ready.

* * *

><p>"Atrocity! Horrible!"<p>

"Major Armstrong-"

"A tale of woe! How can this be?!"

"Major-"

"After such an adventure of passion and horror, a horrible ending-"

"MAJOR, WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON?!"

"THE ART OF CLOTHING REMOVAL HAS BEEN PASSED-"

"_**I DON'T CARE! WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME!"**_

Lieutenant Maria Ross ground her teeth together and tried not to lash out to hard. "You nearly gave away our position back there, Major."

Major Armstrong frowned and wiped a tear away. "I apologize deeply, Lieutenant. This mission is of the utmost importance. Thank you for knocking some sense into me."

"Yeah, I'm gonna knock _something_ into you…" she grumbled.

* * *

><p>As the afternoon wore on, Edward became more and more antsy. His knee bobbed up and down in his seat and his fingers tapped an invisible tune along the windowsill. He refused to make eye contact with Winry.<p>

After two hours of the same behavior, she sighed heavily and leaned forward. Her hand grazed his and he jumped back quickly.

In an attempt to hide her hurt, she quickly asked him if he was ok.

He grumbled out that he was fine.

"Are you sure? Did Major Mustang say something that bothered you?"

Edward's face colored. "Not… exactly…"

"Then why-"

"Listen, can we not talk about this now? I'm thinking." He turned his face towards the window and said no more.

Winry slowly sat back in her seat and pursed her lips. Staring at her hands, she tried to ignore the tightening in her throat and the hot tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

'_He… doesn't want to be with me anymore,'_ she thought irrationally. She was always one to jump to conclusions. _'That has to be it. Maybe he's finally realized that I'm a lost cause. It's better this way, though. He'll leave and it will be ok. It'll be better that way anyway.'_

The logical side of her mind butted in calmly. _'Now that can't be it. Edward isn't that type of person. He just needs his space. By now you should know that…'_

She was being stupid, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that he was mad at her.

Rolling her shoulders, she tried to find a more comfortable position in her seat. Her back had been aching on and off for the past few days, and it made sitting a challenge. Finally, after a moment of shifting, she settled into a position that felt relatively ok. She gazed out of the window in silence, musing on what seemed to be the longest train ride of her life.

* * *

><p>"Status update?"<p>

"The targets are approaching the Risembool train station as we speak, and are scheduled to arrive at six this evening."

"Good. Is everything in position?"

"Yes sir. Locals have been cleared from the area and if everything goes according to schedule, there will be no interference."

"Excellent. You've done well."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

><p>"Last stop, Risembool!"<p>

Winry blinked wearily toward the sky, already pinking in the absence of the sun. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and yawned. Judging from the view outside, she'd been asleep for close to four hours.

Edward was fidgeting more than ever. His pads of his fingers rolled and tapped his knees in a drumroll. A thick sheen of sweat built up over his brow, and he was pretty sure his heart was in his throat.

There was no way he was coming out of this one alive.

Winry stood slowly and pulled at her carry on. "Ready to go?" she asked, her voice rough from sleep.

Ed simply nodded and walked out, his face coloring violently.

Winry huffed and followed him out of the room, wondering how long he was going to mope around with an attitude.

Even though his hands shook the entire time, he gingerly helped Winry off the train and onto the platform. The evening air was cool on their backs and slightly lifted the air from their shoulders. However, instead of calming Ed down, it only served to terrify him beyond relief.

After a few moments of silence, he felt a small pull at his sleeve. Winry looked up at him, her eyes weary and guarded.

"Hey Ed, are you mad at me or something?"

Ed frowned. "No, why would you think that?"

"You've been in a weird mood all day. I can't help but think there's something wrong…" she trailed off.

"Actually-"

"I knew it!" she practically screamed. "It's because I can't bake a cake, isn't it?!"

Ed reeled back, his hands shooting out in a slightly defensive position. This was clearly not going as he had anticipated. "What? No, Winry, what are you-"

"I can't bake a cake, and I'll probably never learn how!" She broke into sobs.

"Winry, no, what I was trying to say was-"

"Which is understandable, I guess. When you have a life to live-"

"Winry-"

"Who would want to be with a girl who can't even bake a cake?"

"DAMMIT, WINRY, LISTEN TO ME!"

Winry quickly clamped her mouth shut as Edward faced her head on. "You never quit, do you? Always making assumptions, running your mouth until you get your way, making a big deal out of nothing… It's always the same! You are the most frustrating person I've ever met!"

Winry's nose flared. "Then-"

"And always interrupting me!" Edward shouted. "Now if you will be quite for a second, you will let me propose to you properly, god dammit!"

"And what makes you think-" Winry stopped short as her mind processed his words. "P-propose?"

His face fell and he ran his hand through his hair. "I pictured this a lot differently."

Winry wiped her face and stepped closer to him. "I'm sorry," she murmured, as she ran her fingers over his knuckles.

"Can we start over?" she asked.

Ed met her gaze and smiled faintly. Slowly, he lowered onto his automail leg and withdrew a small silver band from his jacket pocket.

"You are the most annoying girl I have ever met, but you're also the bravest. You're headstrong and sometimes downright insane, but you… shine. You shine, Winry Rockbell, and I love you more than life itself. Now, without interrupting, I would like to ask you to stay by my side as my wife, if you'll have me."

"Half my life for yours?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"_All_ my life for yours," he corrected, and slid the ring onto her finger.

In a burst of emotion, Winry fell into his chest and pulled his face to hers, giggling as their lips met.

"_WHAT A MAREVELOUS PERFORMANCE!_" a burly voice announced. Winry and Edward broke apart, not at all surprised to see a weeping Major Armstrong barreling toward them.

Maria quickly stepped in the way and blocked Armstrong's over- enthusiastic attempt at a bear hug.

"Dammit, Major, you completely ruined to surprise!" she shouted, crossing her arms.

Winry tilted her head. "What surprise?"

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

Riza, Havoc, Sheska, Al, and Pinako came forward, each with tears in their eyes.

"Beautiful, just beautiful!" Sheska bawled.

"Now, now, babe, calm down," Havoc murmured, and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"No way!" Winry gasped. "You two?"

Havoc chuckled and Sheska turned a bright red. "T-this isn't about us, Winry!" she stuttered. "We're so proud of you two!"

Riza pulled Winry into a warm hug. "I told you," she whispered.

Winry shook with unshed tears. "Thank you."

"Hey, Winry," Al called over the small group. "What was up with the cake meltdown?"

The group melted into laughter. Silently, Pinako watched the young people. Seeing her granddaughter light up with pure happiness was more than Pinako could ever hope for. She thought it would be a cold day in hell before she thanked Edward Elric for anything, but she knew he deserved a thousand thanks for this small act. For making her granddaughter happy, for allowing love to enter her dying heart.

Overhead, a star shot over the sky, forever marking this perfect moment in time.


End file.
